As parents and others prepare for Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, a safety expert at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt offers tips to avoid this year's most dangerous toys.

• Make sure all crayons, markers or other art supplies are labeled non-toxic.

• Ride-on toys often result in the highest number of toy related injuries. Make sure your child has the proper protective equipment and always wears a helmet.

According to Unni, choking is one of the main causes of toy-related injuries and deaths. Make sure to keep toys with small parts away from young children.

Choking hazard precautions:

• Avoid marbles and balls with a diameter of less than 1.75 inches (4.4 centimeters).

• Avoid toys with cords or strings longer than 7 inches.

• Purchase Mylar balloons instead of latex, and never allow children to inflate or deflate balloons.

Below is a list of other items to avoid this shopping season:

• Button Batteries — Found in remote controls, watches, key chains and musical greeting cards, these small, coin-sized batteries can become lodged in a child’s esophagus and can cause significant problems within just a few hours after they are swallowed.

• Magnets — Avoid building sets with small magnets for children under 6. If swallowed, serious injuries or death could occur.

• Projectile Toys — Projectile toys such as air rockets, darts and slingshots aren’t recommended for any age, but if they are purchased, they should be for older children.